Waste oil burner

ABSTRACT

A conduit is provided including inlet and outlet ends and a spray nozzle is supported from and closes the outlet end of the conduit. The inlet end of the conduit may be suitably communicated with any source of waste oil under pressure and the nozzle includes an inlet communicated with the interior of the conduit and a valve member is supported within the conduit from one end of a bellows member having its other end anchored stationary relative to the conduit. The bellows member is internally pressurized with a fluid under the desired pressure and the exterior of the bellows member is subject to the pressure of oil with the conduit. The internal pressure within the bellows member tends to extend the bellows member and position the valve member in position closing the inlet to the nozzle and when the pressure of waste oil within the conduit exceeds a predetermined pressure, the bellows member contracts and moves the valve member out of closing relationship with the inlet to the nozzle so that waste oil under pressure within the conduit may be expressed from the nozzle, suitable ignition being provided adjacent the outlet of the nozzle for igniting the waste oil discharged therefrom.

United States Patent [191 Landry 1 Oct. 21, 1975 1 WASTE OIL BURNER [76] Inventor: Ronald J. Landry, Rte. 3, Box 237,

Lafayette, La. 70501 [22] Filed: June 3, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 476,161

[52] U.S. Cl 431/202; 137/510 [51] Int. Cl. F23C 11/00 [58] Field of Search 431/202, 8, 5, 353; 137/510 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,459 12/1965 Lilly 137/510 X 3,565,562 2/1971 Drivet.... 431/353 3,797,992 3/1974 Straitz.... 431/285 3,807,932 4/1974 Dewald 431/202 X 3,861,857 1/1975 Straitz 431/202 Primary Examiner-Edward G. Favors Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence A. OBrien; l-larvey'B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A conduit is provided including inlet and outlet ends and a spray nozzle is supported from and closes the outlet end of the conduit. The inlet end of the conduit may be suitably communicated with any source of waste oil under pressure and the nozzle includes an inlet communicated with the interior of the conduit and a valve member is supported within the conduit from one end of a bellows member having its other end anchored stationary relative to the conduit. The bellows member is internally pressurized with a fluid under the desired pressure and the exterior of the bellows member is subject to the pressure of oil with the conduit. The internal pressure within the bellows member tendstoextend the bellows member and position the valve member in position closing the inlet to the nozzle and when the pressure of waste oil within the conduit exceeds a predetermined pressure, the bellows member contracts and moves the valve member out of closing relationship with the inlet to the nozzle so that waste oil under pressure within the conduit may be expressed from the nozzle, suitable ignition being provided adjacent the outlet of the nozzle for igniting the waste oil discharged therefrom.

U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet10f2 US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,914,094

l WASTE OIL BURNER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various structures have been heretofore designed for the purpose of disposing of waste oil from an oil well or the like. Examples of these prior devices may be found in US. Pat. Nos. 2,537,091, to H. Rodman et al., dated Jan. 9, 1951, and 3,565,562, to .I. A. P. Drivet, dated Feb. 23, 1971.

Although previously constructed waste oil burners are efficient in disposing of waste oil when waste oil can be supplied thereto under constant pressure, there are operating circumstances encountered which result in the waste oil pressure being supplied to a burner fluctuating. Substantially all waste oil burners utilize high pressure discharge nozzles to finally atomize the waste oil to be burned and if sufficient pressure of waste oil is not realized at the nozzle, the discharge of waste oil from the nozzle will not be in finally atomized form and combustion of the waste oil may be severely restricted. In addition, when a waste oil burner is supported from an oil well drilling barge or the like, the intense heat of the burning of the waste oil must be shielded from the oil well drilling barge.

v BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The waste oil burner of the instant invention is supported at the end of a boom mounted on a support such as an oil well drilling barge at an angle of 30 relative to the horizontal and with the outer end of the boom upwardly inclined. The burner is supported at the outer free end of the boom and includes structure for developing an upwardly extending fan-shaped heat shielding spray of water immediately inwardly of the combustion area of the burner and this spray of water shields the base end of the boom and the structure from which it is supported from the intense heat developed as a result of the combustion of waste oil at the outer end of the boom. The heat shielding spray of water is directed only upwardly and outwardly from the outer end of the boom inasmuch as the burning waste oil is directed upwardly and outwardly along the axial extent of the boom and no portion of the oil well drilling barge is disposed below the outer end of the boom. The boom supports ignition structure for igniting the waste oil being atomized at the burner and also the discharge end of a waste gas conduit whereby waste natural gases may be also disposed of by burning.

The main object of this invention is to provide an apparatus by which waste oil and natural gas may be disposed of in an efficient and safe manner at an oil well drilling barge.

Another object of this invention is to provide a waste oil burner specifically designed to generate only a finally atomized spray of waste oil for combustion, properly mixed with combustion supporting air in order to insure complete combustion of the waste oil and prevent leakage of unburned oil from the burner.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a waste oil burner having a discharge nozzle structure operative to automatically close in response to the pressure ofwaste oil being delivered to the nozzle dropping below a predetermined minimum pressure.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a waste oil burner in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use soas to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a fragmentary portion of an oil well drilling barge from which the waste oil burner nozzle structure of the instant invention is supported by means of an upwardly and outwardly inclined support boom anchored at its lower end to the oil well drilling barge;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the discharge end of the burner with portions of the water manifold portion thereof being broken away and illustrated in vertical section;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transfer sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates any suitable supporting structure adjacent an oil well. The structure 10 comprises an oil well drilling barge and the waste oil and gas burner of the instant invention is referred to in general by the reference numeral 12 and constitutes a boom structure consisting of generally parallel gas, waste oiland water conduits l4, 16 and 18, respectively. The conduits l4, l6 and 18 are braced relative to each other by means of bracing structures 20 extending and connected therebetween at points spaced longitudinally of the boom structure and a second smaller diameter gas line 22 also extends longitudinally of the boom structure 12 and is supported from the water conduit 18 by means of suitable clamps 24 spaced along the boom structure 12.

An oval shield 26 is supported from the outer end of the gas conduit 14 and the shield is further in part supported by angulated discharge end portion 28 of the water pipe 18 which passes through an opening 30 formed in the shield 26. The shield 26 extends longitudinally of the boom structure 12 on the outer free end thereof and a conical air vane or venturi structure 32 is supported within the outer end of the shield 26 in centered position relative thereto by means of diametrically opposite radial braces 34 extending outwardly from the air vane or venturi 32 and secured at their outer ends by means of fasteners 36 secured through diametrically opposite longitudinally extending slots 38 formed in the outer end portion of the shield 26. In this manner, the air vane or venturi 32 may be slightly shifted longitudinally of the shield 26.

The discharge end of the small diameter gas line opens into a' pilot gas manifold 40 extending about the outer end of the shield 26 immediately inwardly of the terminal end thereof and the manifold 40 includes three burner-type outlets 42 with two of the burnertype outlets 42 disposed on opposite sides of the outer end of the air vane or venturi 32 and the third burner outlet 42 positioned immediately above the outer discharge end of the large diameter gas line 14.

The inner end of the large diameter gas line 14 is braced relative to the oil well drilling barge by means of an inclined brace 44 and the inlet ends of the pipes 14, 16 and 18 are connected to supply lines 46, 48 and 50, respectively, for gas oil and water. Also, the inlet end of the small diameter gas line 22 is connected to a supply line 52 suitably valved as at 54.

The water supply line 50 may extend from any suitable source of water under pressure and the gas line 46 may extend from a separator for separating gas from the fluid of the associated well. Also, the supply line 48 for oil may be communicated with any suitable tank of waste oil from which oil may be discharged under pressure.

The outer end portion of the boom structure 12 is provided with a cradle 56, and the cradle 56 is anchored, by means of an anchoring cable 58, to a raised portion 60 of the oil well drilling barge or other suitable support 10. In this manner, the brace 44 and the cable 58 firmly support the boom structure 12 from the support 10 with the boom structure upwardly and outwardly inclined approximately 30 degrees relative to the horizontal.

The discharge end 30 of the water pipe 18 is connected to a water manifold 62 extending across the upper periphery of the discharge end of a shield 26 and provided with discharge openings 64 whereby water being discharged from the manifold 62 outwardly through the opening 64 will form an upwardly directed fan-type spray of water.

The outer end of the oil supply conduit or pipe 16 has a diametrically enlarged terminal end section 68 secured thereon and a high pressure oil atomizing discharge nozzle structure 70 is supported from and closes the outer end of the terminal end section 68. The discharge nozzle structure includes an atomizing nozzle assembly 72 having an inlet 74 and outlet nozzle element 76. A slotted sleeve 80 is supported from the nozzle structure 70 and is telescoped into the terminal end section 68. The inlet 74 is disposed within the discharge end of sleeve 80 and a bellows member 82 is supported within the sleeve 80 and is internally pressurized through a dill valve 84. One end of the bellows member is anchored in stationary position as at 86 and the other end of the bellows member supports a valve member 88 for movement toward and away from the inlet 74 of the discharge nozzle structure 70. The exterior of the bellows member 82 is subject to the pressure of oil within the terminal end section 68. The bellows member 82 is sufficiently internally pressurized through the dill valve 84 to cause the bellows member 82 to expand in order to seat the valve member 88 in the inlet 74. Thus, under the influence of low pressure oil within the terminal and section 68, a bellows member 82 maintains the valve member 88 in seated engagement with the inlet 74. However, when the pressure of oil within the terminal end section 68 is increased above a given value, the exterior of the bellows member 82 is sufficiently pressurized to cause the bellows member 82 to contract and thus shift the valve member 88 away fromthe inlet 74 thereby enabling pressurized waste oil within the terminal end section 68 to pass through the radial ports 90 i and into the inlet 74 of the discharge nozzle structure for subsequent discharge from the outlet nozzle 76.

Inasmuch as waste oil to be burned must be finally atomized, the bellows member 82 is sufficiently pressurized internally to prevent the valve member 88 from shifting away from the inlet 74 unless the pressure of waste within the terminal end section 68 is between 300 and 500 PSIG. Then, upon the opening of the valve 88 waste oil will be discharged from the nozzle member 76 under sufficiently high pressure to substantially atomize the waste oil and enable the pilot burners 42 to ignite the atomized waste oil. Also, the lower pilot burner 42 is utilized to ignite waste gases from an associated well being discharged from the outer end of the gas conduit or pipe 14.

The air vane or venturi 32 is shifted axially of the terminal end section 68 and the shield 26 is required in order to enable the high velocity discharge of atomized waste oil from the discharge nozzle structure 70 to create the proper flow of combustion, supporting air through the air vane or venturi 32 in order to insure proper combustion of the atomized waste oil. Also,

during operation of the waste oil burner water under pressure will be supplied to the pipe or conduit 18 in,

order that a heat protective shield in the form of a fanshaped spray of water may be discharged through the,

openings 64; The 30 upward and outward angle of the boom structure 12 is important in that only an upwardly and outwardly directed spray shield of water is required, since only water is disposed below the underside of the waste oil burner.

The outlet nozzle defines a thin slot-type outlet from t which oil under pressure is discharged in order to form a thin fan-shaped spray of oil with a divergence angle of between 45 and The plane of the fan-shaped spray of oil contains the major diameter of the shield 26 and this orientation of the fan-shaped spray dis,

charge of oil relative to the major transverse dimension of the shield 26 and the provision of the air vane or ven? turi 32 causes additional air to be mixed with the spray discharge of oil with sufficient turbulance to substantially fully atomize the oil being discharged without the need for combustion supporting supplemental air being pumped under pressure to the burner. g

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A waste oil burner including an oil conduit having,

inlet and outlet ends and a spray nozzle supported from andclosing said outlet end, said inlet end being adapted to be communicated with a source of waste oil under pressure, said nozzle including an inlet communicated with the interior of said conduit, a valve member, pressure responsive support and shifting means disposed within said conduit and supporting said valve member for movement into and out of position closing said nozzle inlet, said pressure responsive means including means operative in response to an increase in oil pressure within said conduit above a predetermined pressure to shift said valve member out of position closing said nozzle inlet and in response to a reduction in oil pressure within said conduit below said predetermined pressure to shift said valve member into position closing said nozzle inlet, a support, an inclined boom extending upwardly and outwardly from one side of said support, said spray nozzle being supported from and opening outwardly of the upper outer end of said boom, the outer end of said boom also including ignition means for igniting atomized waste oil spray discharged from said nozzle, the outer end of said boom including a tubular cone-shaped air venturi opening at its discharge end endwise outwardly of the outer end of said boom, said nozzle being generally centered in the discharge end of said venturi, said boom including an outer end open ended tubular shield generally centered about and of considerably greater inside dimensions than the outside dimensions of said venturi.

2. The combination of claim I wherein said pressure responsive support and shifting means includes a bellows member within said conduit stationarily supported at one end relative to said nozzle, the other end of said bellows member having said valve member supported therefrom, fluid pressure inlet means operatively associated with said one end of said bellows means for charging said bellows member with fluid at a given pressure, the exterior of said bellows member being communicated with the interior pressure of said oil conduit upstream from said nozzle inlet.

3. The combination of claim 1 including means carried by the outer end of said boom operative to discharge an upward and laterally outwardly directed fanshaped spray of water to shield said support from intense heat generated adjacent said nozzle.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said boom includes a waste gas pipe extending longitudinally thereof including a discharge end disposed closely beneath said nozzle.

5. The combination of claim 1 including means supporting the air venturi from said boom for adjustably axial shifting of said venturi relative to said nozzle.

6. A waste oil burner, said burner including a spray nozzle, an inclined boom, a support, means supporting said boom at its lower end from said support, said spray nozzle being supported from and opening outwardly of the upper outer end of said boom, the outer end of said boom also including ignition means for igniting atomized waste oil spray discharged from said nozzle, the outer end of said boom including a tubular coneshaped air venturi opening at its discharge end endwise outwardly of the outer end of said boom, said nozzle being generally centered in the discharge end of said venturi, said boom including an outer end open ended tubular shield generally centered about and of considerably greater inside dimensions than the outside dimensions of said venturi.

7. The combination of claim 6 including means carried by the outer end of said boom operative to discharge an upward and laterally outwardly directed fanshaped spray of water to shieldsaid support from intense heat generated adjacent said nozzle.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said shield is of a horizontal transverse dimension greater than its vertical transverse dimension and said nozzle includes means for discharging a thin fan-shaped spray of oil therefrom with the divergence of said spray of oil between 45 and degrees and with the plane of the fanshaped spray containing the greater horizontal transverse dimension of said shield.

9. A waste oil burner, said burner including a spray nozzle, an inclined boom, a support, means supporting said boom at its lower end from said support, said spray nozzle being supported from and opening outwardly of the upper outer end of said boom, the outer end of said boom also including ignition means for igniting atomized waste oil spray discharged from said nozzle, said boom including an outer end open-ended tubular shield generally centered about said nozzle, said shield being of a horizontal transverse dimension greater than its vertical transverse dimension and said nozzle including means for discharging a thin fan-shaped spray of oil therefrom with the divergence of said spray of oil between forty five and ninety degrees and with the plane of the fan-shaped spray containing the greater horizontal transverse dimension of said shield. 

1. A WASTE OIL BURNER INCLUDING AN OIL CONDUIT HAVING INLET AND OUTLET ENDS AND A SPRAY NOZZLE SUPPORTED FROM AND CLOSING SAID OUTLET END, SAID INLET END BEING ADAPTED TO BE COMMUNICATED WITH A SOURCE OF WASTE OIL UNDER PRESSURE, SAID NOZZLE INCLUDING AN INLET COMMUNICATED WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONDUIT, A VALVE MEMBER, PRESSURE RESPONSIVE SUPPORT AND SHIFTING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONDUIT AND SUPPORTING SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF POSITION CLOSING SAID NOZZLE INLET, SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS OPERATIVE IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASE IN OIL PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CONDUIT ABOVE A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE TO SHIFT SAID VALVE MEMBER OUT OF POSITION CLOSING SAID NOZZLE INLET AND IN RESPONSE TO A REDUCTION IN OIL PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CONDUIT BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED PRESSURE TO SHIFT SAID VALVE MEMBER INTO POSITION CLOSING SAID NOZZLE INLET, A SUPPORT, AN INCLINED BOOM EXTENDING UPWARDLY AD OUTWARDLY FROM ONE SIAD OF SAID SUPPORT, SAID SPRAY NOZZLE BEING SUPPORTED FROM AND OPENING OUTWARDLY OF THE UPPER OUTER END OF SAID BOOM, THE OUTER END OF SAID BOOM ALSO INCLUDING IGNITION MEANS FOR IGNITING ATOMIZED WASTE OIL SPRAY DISCHARGED FROM SAID NOZZLE, THE OUTER END OF SAID BOOM INCLUDING A TUBULAR CONE-SHAPED AIR VENTURE OPENING AT ITS DISCHARGE END ENDWISE OUTWARDLY OF THE OUTER END OF SAID BOOM, SAID NOZZLE BEING GENERALLY CENTERED IN THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID VENTURI, SAID BOOM INCLUDING AN OUTER END OPEN ENDED TUBUALR SHIELD GENERALLY CENTERED ABOUT AND OF CONSIDERABLE GREATER INSIDE DIMENSONS THAN THE OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS OF SAID VENTURI.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pressure responsive support and shifting means includes a bellows member within said conduit stationarily supported at one end relative to said nozzle, the other end of said bellows member having said valve member supported therefrom, fluid pressure inlet means operatively associated with said one end of said bellows means for charging said bellows member with fluid at a given pressure, the exterior of said bellows member being communicated with the interior pressure of said oil conduit upstream from said nozzle inlet.
 3. The combination of claim 1 including means carried by the outer end of said boom operative to discharge an upward and laterally outwardly directed fan-shaped spray of water to shield said support from intense heat generated adjacent said nozzle.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said boom includes a waste gas pipe extending longitudinally thereof including a discharge end disposed closely beneath said nozzle.
 5. The combination of claim 1 including means supporting the air venturi from said boom for adjustably axial shifting of said venturi relative to said nozzle.
 6. A waste oil burner, said burner including a spray nozzle, an inclined boom, a support, means supporting said boom at its lower end from said support, said spray nozzle being supported from and opening outwardly of the upper outer end of said boom, the outer end of said boom also including ignition means for igniting atomized waste oil spray discharged from said nozzle, the outer end of said boom including a tubular cone-shaped air venturi opening at its discharge end endwise outwardly of the outer end of said boom, said nozzle being generally centered in the discharge end of said venturi, said boom including an outer end open ended tubular shield generally centered about and of considerably greater inside dimensions than the outside dimensions of said venturi.
 7. The combination of claim 6 including means carried by the outer end of said boom operative to discharge an upward and laterally outwardly directed fan-shaped spray of water to shield said support from intense heat generated adjacent said nozzle.
 8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said shield is of a horizontal transverse dimension greater than its vertical transverse dimension and said nozzle includes means for discharging a thin fan-shaped spray of oil therefrom with the divergence of said spray of oil between 45 and 90 degrees and with the plane of the fan-shaped spray containing the greater horizontal transverse dimension of said shield.
 9. A waste oil burner, said burner including a spray nozzle, an inclined boom, a support, means supporting said boom at its lower end from said support, said spray nozzle being supported from and opening outwardly of the upper outer end of said boom, the outer end of said boom also including ignition means for igniting atomized waste oil spray discharged from said nozzle, said boom including an outer end open-ended tubular shield generally centered about said nozzle, said shield being of a horizontal transverse dimension greater than its vertical transverse dimension and said nozzle including means for discharging a thin fan-shaped spray of oil therefrom with the divergence of said spray of oil between forty five and ninety degrees and with the plane of the fan-shaped spray containing the greater horizontal transverse dimension of said shield. 